Draft key retainer



Dec. 12, 1950 F. F. HAYES DRAFT KEY RETAINER Filed Oct. 12, 1948 FIG. 2

FOSTER F. HAYES, %wq%0 a/%,

ATTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAFT KEY RETAINER Foster F. Hayes, Paducah, Ky.

Application October 12, 1948, Serial No. 54,135

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to draft key retaining devices for railway cars, and more particularly to devices of this nature comprising a T-type retainer pin.

The general object of the invention is to provide a key retainer which will be less liable to loss or breakage, and which will assure the operation of cars with much greater safety than with the retaining devices hitherto employed.

Specific objects are to devise a retainer pin, of simple construction, which can be economically manufactured, which will fit into the hole provided in standard draft keys new in use, which can be applied and removed without the use of special tools, and which will afford maximum shear resistance.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the separate parts forming my improved composite retainer pin;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing my improved pin as it appears when applied to a draft key;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pin and fragment of the key, as shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my improved retainer pin, which is of the T-type, comprises a pair of halves or sections i and 2, each having a substantially half-round stem or shank 4 and a T-head 5. These two sections may be considered approximately as resulting from splitting the old and well known T-type pin longitudinally, the inner faces of the sections being flat as shown. The ends of the T heads are preferably rounded on the outside as shown at 6.

The lower end portion '5 of each shank 4 is enlarged on the rounded side, so as to form a square shoulder 8 between this enlarged portion and the body of the shank 4.

In addition to the two half sections l and 2, above described, my improved pin comprises a third element designated in its entirety by the numeral 3. This consists of a flat plate of uniform thickness throughout, such plate also being of substantially T-shape and comprising a shank portion 4 and a laterally extending elongated head this shank and head conforming substantially in shape and size with the shank and head of each half section I and 2, so that when assembled between said half sections it presents approximately the same profile. From the upper edge of the head of this locking plate 3 project a pair of spaced lugs 9, and the lower end of the shank 4 is split longitudinally to provide a pair of tongues or lugs 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a fragment of the usual draft key is shown at X and this extends through the usual draft sills, the position of one of which is indicated in dotted lines at Y in Fig. 2. The end of this draft key X is provided with a circular hole or opening H, and the shank of my improved three-part pin is designed to fit snugly in this hole.

In applying my improved pin to the draft key the sections l and 2 are each inserted separately through the hole II, the enlarged ends I being of such size as to pass through this hole, when the sections are introduced one at a time. After the two sections have been positioned in the hole, the locking plate 3 is inserted between them, and the lugs 9 are then bent down in opposite directions so as to overlap the heads of the respective sections as shown in Fig. 2. The tongues III, which project below the enlarged ends 1 of the pin sections, are then bent laterally in opposite directions as shown in Fig. 3, thus securing the looking plate in position and preventing it from working loose.

The thickness of the locking plate 3 is so chosen that when interposed between the sections l and 2 it spreads said sections apart to such an extent as to cause their shank portions to snugly fit the hole l I in the key, and to cause the shoulders 8 at the lower ends of the shanks 4 to underlie the lower surface of the draft key adjacent the margin of the hole II.

It will thus be seen that the three sections of my improved pin are locked together by means of the lugs 9 and 10 of the locking plate, and that when the parts are assembled as described, the engagement of the-shoulders 8 with the undersurface of the key securely holds the pin in position and prevents any possibility of its accidentally working out.

In assembling my improved pin in the hole in the key, it is so placed that the T head lies substantially parallel with the edge of the draft sill Y, and so close to this sill that rotation of the pin in the hole is prevented by engagement of the head portion of the pin with the side of the sill. Thus the pin is maintained in a position in which the plane of division between the sections extends substantially tranversely of the draft key. This results in the three parts of the key being superposed longitudinally of the key, so that they afford a maximum shear resistance.

If it is desired to remove th pin, all that is necessary is to bend the lugs 19 back into the plane of the locking plate 3. Said locking plate may then be withdrawn upwardly, thus permitting the shoulder 8 on each half section to be disengaged from the key, so that the sections can then be removed.

What I claim is:

A draft key retainer comprising a composite T-shaped pin including a T-head and a shank,

the latter to be inserted downwardly through an opening in a draft key until the head of the pin rests upon the top of the draft key to hold the pin against dropping through said opening, said pin being divided longitudinally of its head intotwo half-sections having planar adjacent surfaces, a plate insertable between said half -secti'ons to spread them apart, and projeotionson theouter sides of the lower end portions of the half-sections of said shank to underlie the draft key whenithe pin half-sections are spaced apart by said plate to prevent upward removal of the pin from the opening in the draft key, said plate being of T-shape and including a head interposed between the half-sections of the headof the pin and of a length to have each end portion. thereof rest ing a composite shank of substantially circular shape in cross section and of substantially the same diameter as the opening in the draft key when the latter is unworn, the head of said pin being cooperable with a draft sill to hold said head in a position extending transversely relative to the draft key so that the half-sections of the shank of the pin and the shank of the plate act serially to resist shearing stresses imposed upon them. longitudinally with respect to the draft key, lugs on the top of the head of said plate to overlie the tops of the half-sections of the head of said pin, and lugs on the bottom of the shank ofsaid plate to be bent into underlying relationship to the bottoms of the half-sections of the shank of said pin to hold the pin half-sections and the plate against vertical movement relative to each other.

FOSTER F. HAYES.

REFERENEES CITED- The following references are of record in the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,446,555 Floyd Feb. 27, 1923 1,574,619 Gibson Feb. 23, 1926 1,999,352 Barthelemy Apr. 30, 1935 2,035,883 I-Iarbert Mar. 31, 1936 

